1966
This is a list of various things that took place in 1966. Significant events January *7 - Lou Thesz loses the NWA World Heavyweight Championship to Gene Kiniski in the main event of a show in St. Louis. It is Thesz's last reign as NWA World Champion over a 29-year period, and he will be one of the final pre-World War II wrestlers to have held a specific major promotion world title (although not continuously) well into the Vietnam War-era. After losing several rematches, Thesz would continue to wrestle on a part-time basis and held his last significant championship -- the Universal Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Championship in Mexico -- in 1977. September * Alex Turk Promotions ceases operations following its September 3 event, citing increased competition from the American Wrestling Association, which had been holding events in Turk's stronghold of Winnipeg Births January *3 - Huracán Jr. *4 - La Parka AAA *29 - Macho Pump *30 - Jeque February *4 - Fuerza Chicana *9 - Muerte Subita *12 - Mongolian Yuga March *24 - Danger Matsunaga *26 - Tania April *6 - Sandra Margot (Richmond, California) *19 - El Samurai *22 - Miguel Pérez Jr. May *9 - Robin Hood *10 - Humberto Garza Jr. *20 - Maniaco *22 - Konnan 2000 *26 - Misterioso *26 - Polvo de Estrellas *26 - Tinieblas Jr. *28 - Jerrito Estrada July' *16 - Blue Demon Jr. *16 - Arkángel de la Muerte *21 - Coquito Rojo (II) *26 - Angel o Demonio August *15 - Nitro *16 - Rayo Tapatío II September *19 - Yoshihiro Takayama October *2 - Kokina *2 - Rodney Anoa'i (San Francisco, California) *8 - Love Machine *11 - Fatu *11 - Scorpio Jr. *21 - Giro *26 - Principe Negro *28 - Nube Roja *31 - Koji Kanemoto November *10 - Bill DeMott (Titusville, Florida) *26 - Brian Lee (St. Petersburg, Florida) December *6 - Proverbio *8 - Nitron *12 - Jinsei Shinzaki (Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan) *12 - Último Dragón *16 - Men's Teioh *18 - Espectrito Deaths August *8 – Ed Lewis 76 (Natural causes) Debuts February *16 = Carlos Colón Events Title changes January *7 - Gene Kiniski wins the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from Lou Thesz in St. Louis *9 - The Masked Yankees are awarded the Toronto version of the NWA International Tag Team Championship *11 - Fritz Von Erich defeats Billy Red Lyons to win the vacant NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship in Dallas, Texas *31 - John Tolos and the Black Terror win the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship from Paddy Barrett and Tim Geohagen in Vancouver, British Columbia February *21 - Antonio Pugliese and Johnny Valentine win the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship from Bill and Danny Miller in New York City *24 - Tarzan Tyler wins the NWA Florida Southern Heavyweight Championship from Bob Orton, Sr. in Jacksonville, Florida *28 - Paddy Barrett and Tim Geohagen regain the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from John Tolos and the Black Terror in Vancouver March *3 - Paul Jones wins the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship from Stan Stasiak in Salem, Oregon *8 - The Missouri Mauler wins the NWA Florida Southern title from Tarzan Tyler in Tampa, Florida May *9 - John Tolos and Tony Borne win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from Paddy Barrett and Tim Geohagen in Vancouver *18 - Stan Stasiak regains the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Paul Jones *28 - The Crusher and Dick the Bruiser win the AWA World Tag Team Championship from Larry Hennig and Harley Race in Minneapolis June * John Tolos and Tony Borne are recognized as the first NWA Vancouver World Tag Team Champions *6 - Fritz Von Erich wins the Texas version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship by defeating Brute Bernard in Texas to become the first champion (specific location unknown) *9 - Johnny Valentine wins the NWA Texas United States title from Fritz Von Erich in Texas (specific location unknown) *15 - Pepper Martin wins the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Stan Stasiak in Eugene, Oregon July *4 - Don Leo Jonathan and Haystacks Calhoun win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from John Tolos and Tony Borne in Vancouver *10 - Whipper Billy Watson and Bulldog Brower win the NWA Toronto International Tag Team title from the Masked Yankees in Toronto *11 - John Tolos and Tony Borne regain the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from Don Leo Jonathan and Haystacks Calhoun in Vancouver *31 - Tiger Jeet Singh and Fred Atkins win the NWA Toronto International Tag Team title from Whipper Billy Watson and Bulldog Brower in Toronto August *4 - Fritz Von Erich regains the NWA Texas United States title from Johnny Valentine in Texas (specific location unknown) *11 - Lester Welch defeats Sputnik Monroe in a tournament final in Tampa to win the reactivated NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship September *16 - Tony Borne wins the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Pepper Martin in Portland, Oregon *17 - Bette Boucher wins the NWA World Women's Championship from the Fabulous Moolah in Seattle, Washington (WWE, which claims this championship's history for its original WWE Women's Championship, does not recognize this title change) *22 - Baron Mikel Scicluna and Smasher Sloan win the WWWF United States Tag Team title from Antonio Pugliese and Johnny Valentine in Washington, D.C when Valentine turns heel and awards the belts to Scicluna and Sloan after Pugliese is injured during the second fall of a three-fall match after Pugliese and Valentine win the first fall *26 - Dutch Savage and Don Jardine win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from John Tolos and Tony Borne in Vancouver October *3 - Dutch Savage and Don Jardine win the NWA Vancouver World Tag Team title from John Tolos and Tony Borne in Vancouver; Fabulous Moolah regains the NWA World Women's title from Bette Boucher in Vancouver (WWE does not recognize this title change) *31 - Don Leo Jonathan and Dominic DeNucci win the NWA Canadian Tag Team title from Dutch Savage and Don Jardine in Vancouver November *3 - Shag Thomas wins the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Tony Borne in Salem *10 - Tony Borne regains the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Shag Thomas in Salem *12 - Dick the Bruiser wins the AWA World Heavyweight Championship from Mad Dog Vachon in Omaha, Nebraska *19 - Mad Dog Vachon regains the AWA World title from Dick the Bruiser in Omaha *21 - Joe Blanchard wins the NWA Texas title from Fritz Von Erich in Fort Worth, Texas December *8 - Spiros Arion and Antonio Pugliese win the WWWF United States Tag Team title from Baron Mikel Scicluna and Smasher Sloan in Washington, D.C. *9 - Pat Patterson wins the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Tony Borne in Portland *17 - Tony Borne regains the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Pat Patterson in Portland *26 - Don Leo Jonathan and Dominic DeNucci win the NWA Vancouver World Tag Team title from Dutch Savage and Don Jardine in Vancouver *29 - Paul Jones wins the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Tony Borne in Salem See also Category:Wrestling Years